What Clients Say About
Working with Boon Counsel

Challenge

Overlooked Employment Period

A client who had worked for a smaller company in the early 1990s found no record of those years in his Social Security contribution history. The employer had since closed. The pension figure was correspondingly lower than his full working life warranted.

What Was Done

We assisted the client in locating alternative documentation — tax filings and employer certificates that predated the Social Security records system — and prepared a written submission to the relevant office with a clear account of why those years should be counted. The submission included a chronological employment history supported by the available documents.

Outcome

The office accepted the submission and recalculated the pension to include the disputed period. The correction resulted in a meaningful increase to the monthly figure. The matter took approximately four months from the initial intake to the revised calculation letter.

Challenge

Cross-Border Coordination

A client had contribution histories across Thailand, Japan, and South Korea — the result of a career in the maritime industry. Documents were in three languages, spread across employers on two continents, and no single authority had a complete picture of the contributions made.

What Was Done

We mapped the full employment history, coordinated translation of Japanese and Korean employment records, and prepared separate claim files for each relevant authority. Written communication was conducted with each body, with copies of all correspondence provided to the client. The Thai claim was handled directly; for Japan and South Korea, we prepared the documentation and supported the client in submitting through the appropriate channels.

Outcome

All three authorities confirmed receipt of the claims. The Thai and Korean claims were processed within the expected timeframes. The Japanese claim required additional documentation at a later stage, which we assisted in preparing. The matter remains one of the more complex cross-border files we have handled.

Challenge

Formal Appeal after Denial

A client received a formal denial of her pension entitlement on the basis that a required contribution threshold had not been met. The denial letter cited a specific regulation but did not explain how the authority had calculated the number of qualifying weeks.

What Was Done

We read the denial letter alongside the relevant regulations and identified that the authority's calculation had excluded a period of part-time employment that the client had held during a career break. A formal appeal submission was prepared that addressed the legal basis for including that period and supported the argument with the original employment records and payslips.

Outcome

The appeal was accepted. The authority reversed its decision and the client began receiving her pension. No oral hearing was required — the written submission was sufficient. The entire process from first contact to the reversal letter took approximately five months.